Guided by the Stars

Navigator Captain Linos of Mosa Kaittos

Ships

• Phileidermarkos
• Boromis
• Manaidon
• Milos
• Eberos Donai
• Eberos Oinai
• Gideon
• Poilis
• Medebe
• Daida
• Phranka
• Deinokatos
• Ododein

Fleeing the plague-ravished shores of Mosa Kaittos, we set sail, following the stars Arcturus and Elnath. Due to the haste with which we left, the navigator captain made a basic navigational error, which meant that we veered off course. A clear night some days later allowed us to correct this mistake. We thus finally managed to reach Kamateia, a statue more than an island. It bears the shape of a minotaur, apparently made of cast-iron. Who might have been able to create this we dare not think. It’s empty gaze is set to the South-West and it has two large chains in its hands descending into the depths. The chains move up, ever so slowly (about one link every two hours?), but apparently nothing has ever emerged.

Impressive as the island was, there appeared to be no supplies on this barren colossus to replenish our own. The crew started grumbling with the exhaustion, for they probably felt that this was a first indication of the long journey to come, on our way to a new home.

One of the deckhands spotted a kind of a platform below the surface. The captain, trying to take the crew’s mind off the unfortunate first part of the voyage, suggested a group of the best divers investigate, while he sent another group, led by his first mate Danios, to investigate the ‘island’ itself.

The divers discovered that the platform below the water seemed to be stationary. Both chains ran through it, without moving it upwards. How the platform remained in its place is a mystery. They did find a colony of mussels stuck to the platform, which they were able to cut loose. The captains ordered the cooks to prepare a feast of steamed mussels with garlic and dried herbs from our homeland to raise the moral: it is difficult to grumble with a full mouth.

The first mate and his companions returned only the next morning. They had managed to climb into the empty eye sockets of the statue. It was a large empty room with ornate carvings on the walls accompanied by obscure inscriptions of some kind. There were remnants of a campfire started by previous visitors, but otherwise there was nothing of value to be found. Martinos, who had been a historian at the library on Mosa Kaittos, seemed very happy with the rubbings and notes he had taken from the walls of the minotaur’s head chamber.